bowel movements

So I guess I've always had slow bowel movemens ever since I was a kid. When I was younger it might only happen once a week.

But obviously being a kid I was pretty oblivious to fiber intake, water intake, etc..

But it's just been bugging me lately that those same problems never went away. I eat 25-30g of fiber a day. Pretty much 50/50 between powder and whole food. Drink prolly close to 2 gallons of water a day if not more. Train 1-2 hours in the gym EVERY day 7 days a week, and I still don't get one bowel movement a day. It's usually every 3 days. And when it happens, it literally is like I just gave birth to a baby lizard. Sorry to get so graphic but I mean it's absolutely ridiculous, I've thought about calling up guiness and inquiring about some stats to see if I could qualify.

Is this a sign I am cursed with a slower than normal metabolism for the rest of my life or what? Or doesn't bowel movements really have any correlation with your metabolism?

I'm definitely not an expert on the subject, but if a bowel movement does feel like giving birth maybe you should try a stool softener, or something similar to help. Of course, if it's then bad then I'd probably go see a doctor.

It doesn't hurt, it's just HUMONGOUS. It's like my stomach waits 3 days until it literally cannot fit anything more inside of it before it will finally produce a bowel movement. And then it proceeds to empty the entire digestive tract all at one time.

By the 3rd day I'm starting to feel pretty bloated until I finally have the bowel movement.

It doesn't hurt, it's just HUMONGOUS. It's like my stomach waits 3 days until it literally cannot fit anything more inside of it before it will finally produce a bowel movement. And then it proceeds to empty the entire digestive tract all at one time.

By the 3rd day I'm starting to feel pretty bloated until I finally have the bowel movement.

An hour after my coffee in the morning like clockwork. I notice when i miss my morning coffee this dosen't happen, are you a coffee drinker?? If not give it a try.

coffee eh? Maybe it's the caffeine in it? I don't drink coffee. In fact I'm on week 5 of an 8 week "stim" detox, lol. But this has been the way my body works for years, nothing to do with anything I'm taking.

edit: if you don't have your coffee, do you drink something in place of it? It could most likely just be the extra amount of water that drinking coffee gives you that allows the fiber in your body to produce a bowel movement. So obviously if you don't drink it, your body can't produce one.

coffee eh? Maybe it's the caffeine in it? I don't drink coffee. In fact I'm on week 5 of an 8 week "stim" detox, lol. But this has been the way my body works for years, nothing to do with anything I'm taking.

It'S Worth a shot i've heard from alot of other coffee drinkers as well it makes you poop on the regular.

Which is why I stated it acted as a natural laxative. It is the natural enzymes in coffee that acts as a powerful stimulant for colon movement, and not the caffeine. Even decaffeinated coffee should give the same effect.

That i didn't know, i would have thought it had something to do with the caffeine.

Not necessarily. I can drink beverages with a high caffeine content like Diet Mountain Dew, and it does not have the same effect as coffee, at all. Most of the recent research on the subject points to the fact that it's the enzymes in the coffee that produce the laxative effect, and not the caffeine.

swollen87, that actually might not be a bad idea. Psychological warfare!

Damn so many people have trouble pooping. Just finished my coffee 30 minutes ago,and i'm ready for a deuce. If anything with alot of the supplements i take i sometimes lean more towards diarreha!! I generally go twice a day every day.

So I guess I've always had slow bowel movemens ever since I was a kid. When I was younger it might only happen once a week.

But obviously being a kid I was pretty oblivious to fiber intake, water intake, etc..

But it's just been bugging me lately that those same problems never went away. I eat 25-30g of fiber a day. Pretty much 50/50 between powder and whole food. Drink prolly close to 2 gallons of water a day if not more. Train 1-2 hours in the gym EVERY day 7 days a week, and I still don't get one bowel movement a day. It's usually every 3 days. And when it happens, it literally is like I just gave birth to a baby lizard. Sorry to get so graphic but I mean it's absolutely ridiculous, I've thought about calling up guiness and inquiring about some stats to see if I could qualify.

Is this a sign I am cursed with a slower than normal metabolism for the rest of my life or what? Or doesn't bowel movements really have any correlation with your metabolism?

OP, I had the same problem (only went once every 3 days). I've found that I had to eat MORE, and MORE often. If you have a fast metabolism, your body will hold onto the contents of your intestines in an attempt to get EVERYTHING out of it(because your body thinks "I must be in a famine, why else would he not be feeding me enough. I'd better hold onto this stuff and get everything out of it that I can until he feeds me again"). If you eat more, your body will be more willing to abandon the contents in your intestines for "fresher" food . This should produce a bowel movement quicker. Also, if your stools are hard, and you are drinking 2 gallons of water, you may want to try lowering your sodium intake (which will pull extra water from your small intestine due to osmosis). Good luck!
--Brian

OP, I had the same problem (only went once every 3 days). I've found that I had to eat MORE, and MORE often. If you have a fast metabolism, your body will hold onto the contents of your intestines in an attempt to get EVERYTHING out of it(because your body thinks "I must be in a famine, why else would he not be feeding me enough. I'd better hold onto this stuff and get everything out of it that I can until he feeds me again"). If you eat more, your body will be more willing to abandon the contents in your intestines for "fresher" food . This should produce a bowel movement quicker. Also, if your stools are hard, and you are drinking 2 gallons of water, you may want to try lowering your sodium intake (which will pull extra water from your small intestine due to osmosis). Good luck!
--Brian

You sure about that one brotha? I've always thought it was the other way around. If you have a fast metabolism, your body absorbs, uses and deposits the food you eat as soon as you eat it and is ready and expecting your next meal to come very fast. And on the other hand if you have a slow metabolism, it will hold onto it for fear of not getting another meal.

Anyways, I eat a **** ton of food, no pun intended.....unfortunately. I eat 7 meals a day, 2 huge salads, 1/2 cup oats, over a pound of chicken a day, etc..

You sure about that one brotha? I've always thought it was the other way around. If you have a fast metabolism, your body absorbs, uses and deposits the food you eat as soon as you eat it and is ready and expecting your next meal to come very fast. And on the other hand if you have a slow metabolism, it will hold onto it for fear of not getting another meal.

Anyways, I eat a **** ton of food, no pun intended.....unfortunately. I eat 7 meals a day, 2 huge salads, 1/2 cup oats, over a pound of chicken a day, etc..

I'm pretty sure, but I'm not a doctor (this is all what my gastro told me). I guess it's a survival mechanism. With a fast metabolism burning off body fat, once your body gets to a low body fat level, your brain will slow down intestinal motility, as a survival mechanism. It thinks you're in a famine (due to little body fat), so instead of being able to store nutrients in fat, it stores it in waste, and uses it as it is absorbed (fast metabolism). And as far as your food intake, I was eating more than you, and still only going once every 3 days or so. I had to REALLY ramp up my food intake before my habits changed.

i dont think there is a big problem. i dont go very often because i dont eat huge amounts of fiber which works very well for me. there is enough fiber in fruit and vegetables to move your bowels along nicely. sometimes eating extra will backfire and slow it down even more.

going often is not good because it empties your gut of good bacteria too often. once every couple days is totally fine. if there is no pain then there is nothing to worry about. if you really want to, cleanse your colon with the oxypowder like someone suggested above. i did that a few years ago and it actually took like half an inch off my waist. your colon could possibly be a little clogged but i doubt there is a medical issue.

I started some colon cleanse this afternoon. We shall see. I feel like I'm doing everything right to promote healthy bowel movements. 30g of fiber a day, from foods and fiber supps. Two 8 billion acidophilus caps from NOW nutrition a day, once in the am once at night. Eating 7 meals of solid foods, and then of course exercising every single day.

dont take so much fiber bro, it could have a reverse effect. a healthy amount of fruit and vegetables honestly is enough to keep the bowels moving. there is no need for powders. try doing a cleanse and also post your daily diet in here.

The colon cleanse produced a bowel movement in a few hours after I took it. This would be great if you could stay on this stuff you know, but obviously you are not supposed to stay on it long term.

ps. I avoid opening up the posting diet can of worms whenever possible, everyone always has something u are doing wrong, and a better idea. And I'd like to think after 12 years of training, and a few shows under my belt that I do know what works for me, lol.

The colon cleanse produced a bowel movement in a few hours after I took it. This would be great if you could stay on this stuff you know, but obviously you are not supposed to stay on it long term.

ps. I avoid opening up the posting diet can of worms whenever possible, everyone always has something u are doing wrong, and a better idea. And I'd like to think after 12 years of training, and a few shows under my belt that I do know what works for me, lol.

very well except for the fact that you are asking a question about bowel movements which is almost directly related to your diet.

im not sure which product you used but the oxypowder is made to use for 7 straight days and then be done with it. it was pretty cool, for the first 6 months after i went through with it i could literally "go" anytime I wanted to sit down on the john and relax. now i eat barely any fiber, only from fruit and vegetables (no grains) and i feel amazing.

Interesting. It wasn't the oxypowder. I was at work today, and there is a walgreens near me. So I just bought a bottle of the generic stuff for 9.99. It's just senna leaf powder. Take 4 caps twice daily. Don't use more than 7 days.

How much fiber would you say you take a day all put together with fruits and veggies?

Interesting. It wasn't the oxypowder. I was at work today, and there is a walgreens near me. So I just bought a bottle of the generic stuff for 9.99. It's just senna leaf powder. Take 4 caps twice daily. Don't use more than 7 days.

How much fiber would you say you take a day all put together with fruits and veggies?

im not sure, it def cant be that (30grams) much though. i eat about a pound of brocolli, a few cups of baby carrots, a fruit salad and spinach. all these have a whole lot less fiber than grains do but if you dont eat grains you also have a whole lot less s**t. so for me this works. i eat a ton of food and go at most once a day, stomach and intestines feel light and empty.

The colon cleanse produced a bowel movement in a few hours after I took it. This would be great if you could stay on this stuff you know, but obviously you are not supposed to stay on it long term.

ps. I avoid opening up the posting diet can of worms whenever possible, everyone always has something u are doing wrong, and a better idea. And I'd like to think after 12 years of training, and a few shows under my belt that I do know what works for me, lol.

Ya, I understand completely. Just remember, anyone responding to your post is only trying to help you. Take their advice or not, either way, it's free advice! Just my .02! Also, it seems I may have been wrong about the metabolism thing. I've been researching for a while today, and it seems my gastro doc didn't know what he was talking about (or, more likely, I don't remember exactly what he said). And, like Anton said, too much fiber and you're doomed! You need to drink more water for more fiber. 2 gallons may not be enough for you. Either way, good luck man, I hope you get this figured out.
--Brian

Careful. Senna is a stimulating laxative and will cause dependence from lazy bowels/decreased natural peristalsis

Good luck to you.

Originally Posted by MakaveliThaDon

Interesting. It wasn't the oxypowder. I was at work today, and there is a walgreens near me. So I just bought a bottle of the generic stuff for 9.99. It's just senna leaf powder. Take 4 caps twice daily. Don't use more than 7 days.

How much fiber would you say you take a day all put together with fruits and veggies?

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im not sure which product you used but the oxypowder is made to use for 7 straight days and then be done with it. it was pretty cool, for the first 6 months after i went through with it i could literally "go" anytime I wanted to sit down on the john and relax. now i eat barely any fiber, only from fruit and vegetables (no grains) and i feel amazing.

A-Minds HYPE-SLAYER! All posts & feedback are guaranteed to be unsolicited and legit
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom & instruction"Proverbs 1:7